Apparatus for drying



(No Model.)

J. R. 8v H. WATSON.

APPARATUS POR DRYING, ROASTING, AND GALGINING SODA ASH.

' No. 527,912. Paten-ted Oct. 23, 1894.

AVA:

.unumnu m :g .116; a. f I 111mm Il )l [N a M lv/ITWESSES r UNITE STATES .ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. WATSON AND HERBERT WATSON, OF WYANDOTTE, MICHIGAN.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING, ROASTlNG, AND CALCINING SODA-ASH.

SPECIFICATION fel-ming part of Letters atent No. 527,912, dated october ee,1se4.

Application tiled December 4. 1893. `Serial No. 492,690. (No model.) l

To @ZZ wtom may concern..-

Be it known that we, JOHN R. WATSON and HERBERT WATSON, subjects of the Queenof Great Britain, residing at Vyandott e, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus forDrying, Roasting,and Calciuing Soda-Ash; and wc declare the followingto `be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand` use the same, reference being had to the ac-` companying drawings, which form a part of this speciiication.

Our invention relates to certain new and useful improvement in an apparatus for drying, roasting and calcining soda ash, more y particularly, but also applicable for use with to convert bicarbonate of soda to carbonate of soda, under the inuence of heat.

Accordingly A represents any suitable furnace. The combustion chamber of the furnace may be located therein at the back or discharge end of the apparatus, or as shown the combustion chamber may be located under the front or feed end of the apparatus. The iiues A run underneath the drying chamber preferably the full length of the machine.

B is a drying chamber of any suitable construction as with bottom plates B', side walls B2, B3 and a cover B4. The bottom plates have any suitable engagement with the sides of the apparatus. Any'suitable cover may be provided to prevent the escape of gas or dust.

C is the feeding duct or conduit through which the bicarbonate of soda enters into dropping upon the bottom plates of the drying chamber. D is an exit orifice in the top of the drying chamber. E is a conveyer located toward the lower end of said chamber arranged to discharge the material. Within the chamber we provide agitating mechanism to agitate the material to be calcined or dried. We accomplish this agitation by means of Scrapers F. As shown these Scrapers consist of the frame F', which may be made of angle iron as shown more particularly in Fig. 3, to which are engaged cross bars F2 provided with scraper blades f, suitably engaged therewith.

The drying chamber may beprovided with any suitable number of Scrapers, two frames being shown in the drawings provided with the scraper blades. These Scrapers are made reciprocatory in any suitable manner and by any suitable means, as for example by slotted `cranks G each provided with an elongated slot g in which is engaged a connecting rod H engaged with the corresponding frame of the scraper. To operate the slotted cranks we have shown a driving shaft I provided with a driving pulley I', said shaft geared with longitudinal shafts J, J at the sides of the drying chamber, as shown. The arms G of the slotted cranks are provided with aworm gear K meshing with the corresponding gear on the shafts J, J. It will be perceived thus, that a reoiprocatory movement will be given to the Scrapers to carry or work the substance being treated rearward toward the conveyer.

L denotes a transverse, upright plate extending across the drying chamber and up a desired height to allow a certain portion of the substance being treated to overflow said plate at each stroke of the scraper in the feed end of the chamber. The plate L serves to hold a thicker layer of moist material directly over the furnace and to prevent dust by keeping the body of the material being treated over the scraper blades. After passing over the transverse plate the material treated is traversed in a thinner layer to the opposite end" of the machine where it drops into the conveyer previously mentioned which is arranged not only to deposit the ma- Ioo 5o the drying chamber, said bicarbonate of soda able number of exit orifices may be provided in the cover or sides ot' the drying chamber to take oft the gas and dust.

It will be perceived that the bars or arms F2 to which the scraper blades are attached may have a rearward movement and are then lifted by the slotted cranks and returned for a successive forward movement. The slotted cranks can be made of any suitable shape and give either a greater or less traverse to the scraper blades. In order to regulate the fall of the Scrapers they are connected to a dash pot or cylinder M, as by arod m provided with a piston m. The cylinder is provided with an air exit which may be provided with any suitable means for regulating the exit of air therethrough or instead thereof suitable springs may be employed` to prevent the Scrapers from dropping when lifted, to the bottom of the chamber. It will be perceived that by making the Wormgears, above referred to, equal, the slotted cranks will work simultaneously the one with the other. In order to equalize the operation of the worm gears We prefer to divide the number of slotted cranks so that four of a set work together, the same being spaced so that when one of said arms is entering the material the other may be leaving it and a third set may be fully in the material.

It is evident that the particular construction hereinbefore described, not only reciprocates the scraper blades, but elevates and lowers said blades alternately upon the hackward and forward movements ot' the blades.

W hat We claim as our invention is- 1. In combination, a drying chamber, an agitator consisting of a frame provided with cross bars F2 each carrying depending scraper blades, and rotatable slotted cranks connected with said frame whereby the frame is reciprocated and given a rising and falling motion as the cranks are rotated, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination, the drying chamber provided with a transverse plate intermediate the ends of the chamber and reciprocatory agitators located on each side of the transverse plate, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination, a drying chamber, a reciprocatory` agitator slotted cranks to reciprocate the agitator, and to elevate and lower it alternately on its forward and backward movements and rotatable shafts geared with said slotted cranks, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

JOI-IN R. WATSON. HERBERT WATSON. Witnesses' N. S. WRIGHT, H. R. WHEELER. 

